[78-L] Henri Litolff's Robespierre Overture

[David Lennick]

For some crazy reason, WERM omits Litolff entirely and jumps from Liszt to 
Locatelli in the first edition, even though the famous Scherzo was available in 
Irene Scharrer's recording and there were two old recordings of the Robespierre 
Overture in arrangements for band. The Boston Pops recorded the  overture but 
well after 1939 and it's in the 1951 WERM supplement.

The two band recordings, which may be old enough to have been around in 1939 (I 
can't tell from the catalog numbers), are as follows:

TOULON NAVY BAND: GRAMOPHONE (FRENCH HMV) L 781/2
KNELLER HALL BAND: STERNO 9027 (this definitely is before 1939)

WERM gives the title as MAXIMILLIAN ROBESPIERRE, subtitled "Le Dernier Jour de 
la Terreur", but I'm pretty sure the Boston Pops disc on Victor calls it 
ROBESPIERRE. All (plus Scharrer and Lympany's recordings of the Scherzo) are in 
WERM 1951.

dl

On 2/13/2011 9:14 PM, Graham Newton wrote:
>
>
> Hello All...
>
> I am looking for information or a recording of Henry (Henri) Litolff's
> Robespierre Overture that would have been available in December 1939.
>
> Note the spelling of Henry vs Henri.  He was born in the UK but moved to France
>    at the age of 17.
>
> Litolff, Henry Charles (b 7th Aug 1818- d 5th Aug 1891), has an entry in the
> Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music 1948 3rd edition, but
> Robespierre Overture is not there.  He and it isn't in the 2nd ed. 1931 either.
>    The work that was listed was Sherzo from Concerto Symphonique No. 4 Op.102
> Piano&  Orch., with London Symphony Orch. conducted by Wood on Columbia 10"
> C017043D.
>
> Eric Gilder's "Dictionary of Composers And Their Music" lists Litolff, Henry
> Charles, but only says he composed four overtures and doesn't name them.
>
>
> Any leads would be appreciated.
>
>
>
>
> ... Graham Newton
>